Thunder Canyon Old Humulus Double IPA

Brewed by Thunder Canyon Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Tucson, Arizona USA

Growler. Rustic, translucent deep amber pour with burned copper orange hues. Forms a small, creamy, light beige head. Slow recession of foam, only fully after the glass is mostly drained. Looks tasty, but standard. A pleasant hop affront rings in the aroma. The nose is timid but very affable. Alcohol is mild as well. Loads of sweet malt and toasted grains ooze from the glass. The remainder, and majority, is the hoppiness, understated as it is: notes of pine, grapefruit and florals, with rigid apricot and peach,all coalesce into a tremendously complex and immensely enjoyable aroma, one that brings me back time and again for another deep breath. The flavor is loaded with barging fruity notes. Additions of mango, tangerine and more pine resin infiltrate the taste. Balance and drinkability is extraordinary. This is far more quaffable than most DIPA’s I’ve had. The palate is awesome, with a smooth mouthfeel, adequate and flavor-separating carbonation, sticky resins. Finishes lightly drying, moderately bitter, with great balance and tremendous flavors. Alcohol heat is creeping, eventually highly warming. A great beer, understated and subsequently likely to be underrated.

Clear copper/bronze. Small white head. Aroma of huge hop resin and grapefruit, light spiciness, green hops, and pale malt sweetness. Flavor adds some pine and a very light toastiness to the malt. Medium/full body, moderate carbonation, lightly syrupy. Very good IIPA.

Growler from FlacoAlto, with many thanks. Clear orange color with a smallish head. Good lacing. Aroma of grapefruit and floral hops with caramel malt. Taste is sweet and perfumy, ends fairly dry and is not bitter in the least. Middle of the road balanced for an IIPA. Impressive for my first AZ beer.

Handbottle. Thanks to cbkschubert for sending me this. Poured a deep golden body with nice head. Aroma is citrus, sweetness, perfume. Flavor has a really nice sweet malt to it, light citrus, dry mouthfeel. Nice beer.

Growler acquired in trade with FlacoAlto (thanks!). Poured a medium and clear orange / amber color with a smaller size off white head. Aromas of pine, orange peels, citrus, floral and light caramel. Tastes of caramel, pine, and citrus. Nice bitter finish with a lighter malt balance.

Poured a clear, amber color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, citrus fruits, light caramel, toasted malts, and floral hops. Taste of pine, resin, light caramel, citrus fruits, faint tobacco, and a moderate grapefruit bitterness in the finish.

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this growler. Pours a caramel malty sweetness, citrus, some pine and grapefruit. Flavor of caramel, toffee, mixed citrus, some pine, light hop bitterness and hops.

Growler from FlacoAlto - thanks! Nice reddish-amber color with a smallish head. Aroma has a very unique tropical/summer fruit quality to it - lots of peach, honey, nectarine, passion fruit, cantaloupe, and more. Also picking up some unique honey-graham cracker/bread in the nose. Flavor has a unique fresh fruit to it that is similar to biting into a peach. Other grassy/fruity tastes mixed in with a honey-breadish flavor. Lacks the over-the-top hop sting/feel that I like in a DIPA, but overall its pretty good. I will certainly enjoy what remains in the growler!